Natural Collocations for Foster at Work

Foster means encourage something to grow or develop. In this workplace sense, it is a transitive verb. Put its direct object after the verb without for or to between them.

Common objects include culture, growth, innovation, collaboration, belonging, relationships, and talent. The object names what the action helps develop.

Culture register: naming the quality the environment builds

Foster often pairs with culture or environment. An of phrase can then name the quality being developed.

"Our leadership team is committed to fostering a culture of transparency and accountability, which in turn fosters a sense of belonging across the organization."

Here, of transparency modifies culture. The verb still takes a culture as its direct object.

Growth and talent register: development without a preposition

The verb also takes direct objects that name growth, skills, attitudes, or relationships.

"The mentorship program aims to foster professional development among junior staff, and a spirit of entrepreneurship is exactly what a strategic planning session should foster."

In that sentence, professional development and a spirit of entrepreneurship are the objects. Other phrases may follow the object and add context.

What doesn't collocate

Do not insert a preposition before the direct object. Change "foster for better communication" to "foster better communication." A that clause is also awkward here. Instead of "foster that the company grows," name a noun such as growth or conditions for growth.

Choose a more direct verb for a fixed administrative task. Teams set deadlines, negotiate contracts, hold meetings, and build databases. Foster growth is natural, even when a report later measures that growth. For a numeric target, achieve, increase, or drive may state ownership more clearly.

Practice scenarios

Practice using foster in situations like:

• describing a culture or environment you're building, with "foster a culture of [quality]"
• naming a mindset or capability you want to grow, directly after "foster," with no preposition
• catching the instinct to add "for" or "to" after foster

Useful practice phrases:

• "We're committed to fostering a culture of [quality]."
• "[Program] aims to foster [growth/development/collaboration] among [group]."
• "[Practice] fosters conditions that support [outcome]."

In this sense, place the thing being developed directly after foster.

Then choose an object such as trust, culture, talent, or a relationship.